How do we play at the Old Course St. Andrews? This is the first and primary question for golf in Scotland. And for all the obvious reasons, it should be. There is nothing to beat the rush you experience or the goosebumps you get as the starter announces your name, asking you to tee it up on the first hole, which your caddie without any conscious effort to add a bit of flavor to the nervous energy that is enveloping your practice swing, may point out is referred to as the “Burn”. Everything about this moment conspires you to believe that this is why you first held a golf club in your hand, that all of the efforts that you have put in to become the golfer you are, would have counted for nothing, were it not for this. All said, it means a lot. As it does to millions of golfers all around the world. Let’s see here how you can conspire to get to that conspiring moment of golf at St. Andrews.
Advance Tee Time Bookings: Each year the Old Course provides a booking window period of 2 weeks to make an advance tee time booking request for the following year, ranging from a single golfer to a maximum of 16 golfers. After all the applications are made, there is a lottery carried out and the results are known by end of November of the same year. Although various terms and conditions are involved, getting through the lottery ensures that not only is it a cost-effective way of playing golf at St. Andrews, but also since you have enough advance notice, you have enough time to plan other aspects of your golf holiday in Scotland.
The Ballot: You’d be surprised to know that almost half of the tee times sold at the Old Course in St. Andrews are via the Ballot. You are required to enter your names as a minimum of 2 golfers or a maximum of 4, 48 hours in advance of the tee off day. The ballot is open all days of the week except Friday since the Old Course remains closed on Sundays. If you are successful, you have to show up before the required tee time, pay the starter and get going. This works well if you are already on a golf holiday in Scotland and in the St. Andrews area. The Ballot can be entered online or via phone.
Single Golfer: As a single golfer, you can queue up at the Old Pavilion, in the morning of the day of play and give your name to the Starter. If there are any 2 balls or 3 balls, playing that day you can be joined with them, of course, subject to your position in the queue, your actual presence at the starter when the opportunity comes up, and the acceptance by the playing group. You’ll be amazed at the success rate possible with this option. It works well when you are ready to sacrifice the company of your golf buddies on the golf tour in Scotland.
Authorized Tee Time Providers: There are various authorized tee time providers like Golf Tour operators and local accommodation providers, who sell tee times at the Old Course as part of golf packages in Scotland. You can contact them for availability and take up such packages. That said, this may not be the cheapest option going around. But then it’s once in a lifetime and after all, it is the Old Course.
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